Comment: Read his letter included in this article. Among the accomplishments he claims are pension reform (there was none), the school funding bill (which will never come remotely close to being funded) and two capital bills (one of which is the preposterously oversized new one for $40 billion, funded by taxes on the working class)!

Kass: “I figure that eventually, I’ll be spending time under those harsh fluorescent lights in the federal courthouse in Chicago, learning all about Madigan Electric lobbyists close to Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.”

Comment: What’s “big” about it? The pensions covered represent just 4.5% of our pension unfunded liabilities. Actual savings are speculative, but in any event will barely move the needle. And there’s this astonishing comment from a lawmaker: “We’re finally doing what Illinois is supposed to do, which is get ahead of these issues before it becomes a crisis,” said Sen. Linda Holmes, an Aurora Democrat.

Pritzker: “In passing this bipartisan legislation, the General Assembly has demonstrated a historic commitment to responsible and sustainable fiscal management.” The Bond Buyer: “The state has not produced any actuarial review to support [the savings it claims].”